The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council is seeking recertification as the alternative voluntary advisory group for Prince William Sound, as authorized under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 . The application has been submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard, which is charged with assessing whether PWSRCAC fosters the general goals and purposes of OPA 90 and is broadly representative of communities and interests as envisioned under OPA 90. The Seward City News Editor publishes information sent from third parties.
Month: February 2017
The Latest: Authorities arrest 76 protesters
Authorities say they arrested d 76 Dakota Access oil pipeline protesters after they refused to leave a camp set up on private land. Law enforcement officers who evicted about 40 Dakota Access oil pipeline opponents from a camp they’d set up on private land have arrested dozens of the protesters.
76 protesters arrested at Dakota pipeline site
Seventy-six people were arrested Wednesday during renewed clashes over the Dakota Access Pipeline, as the Trump administration moves to speed the pipeline-approval process. The people were attempting to create a new campsite on private property as the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, along with the North Dakota Governor’s office and local law enforcement, worked to clean up the main protest site before spring floodwaters rise and wash trash and other debris into the Missouri River.
Flynn puts Iran ‘on notice’ over missile launch as Trump team adopts aggressive posture
The White House put Iran “on notice” on Wednesday for test-firing a ballistic missile and said it was reviewing how to respond, abruptly adopting an aggressive posture toward Tehran that could raise tensions in the region. It was unclear what actions the new Republican administration might take to try to rein in Iran for a missile launch that President Donald Trump and his top aides considered defiance of a nuclear deal negotiated in 2015 by then-Democratic President Barack Obama.
Retailers, trade groups gird for fight against GOP-proposed tax
A woman pushes her shopping cart last May as an employee pulls a long line of carts outside a Target store in Encinitas, California. More than 100 retailers, including Wal-Mart and Target as well as key trade associations, are launching a new coalition aimed at fighting a Republican proposal on how imports get taxed, which they believe would harm their businesses.
GOP Senate pair rule out voting for DeVos, putting nomination in jeopardy
Donald Trump’s nomination of school choice advocate Betsy DeVos as education secretary appeared in jeopardy Wednesday with two Republican senators saying they will vote against her. Amid fierce criticism from Democrats and teachers unions, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced their opposition to DeVos due to her lack of experience in the nation’s public schools.
JJ Gunn will stand with Standing Rock at benefita
It’s impossible not to see what’s happening in North Dakota, and Lebanon-area band JJ Gunn, a blues, soul and rock influenced outfit, is not happy about it. JJ Gunn will stand with Standing Rock at benefit show It’s impossible not to see what’s happening in North Dakota, and Lebanon-area band JJ Gunn, a blues, soul and rock influenced outfit, is not happy about it.
Civil rights opponent moves toward US Attorney General confirmation
Ari Berman posted a message on Twitter saying, ” Senate Judiciary Committee just voted to confirm Jeff Sessions, lifelong opponent of civil rights, on 1st day of Black History Month ” in what understatement allows us to call irony. Jefferson Beauregard “Jeff” Sessions III, the junior United States Senator from Alabama and President Donald Trump’s choice to be US attorney general, is .
Roberts, Ginsburg speak, but not on Trumpa s high court pick –
U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts and fellow Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg steered clear of saying anything about President Donald Trump’s pick for a key high court post as they gave separate speeches Wednesday in Kentucky and Virginia. Roberts looked to the court’s past, not its future, during a speech at the University of Kentucky, one day after Trump announced Neil Gorsuch as his nominee to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the high court.
Dems Call for Pentagon to Investigate Flynn’s Russian Ties
Democratic leaders on six House committees are demanding that the Department of Defense explain a speaking fee National Security adviser Michael Flynn received for a 2015 speech made in Russia. Flynn, who’s admitted to receiving money from Russia’s state-run media group RT for speaking engagements, also dined with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Moscow gala where he delivered his speech.
Dems: Pentagon Should Probe Flynn Over Paid Moscow Speech
Several House Democrats have asked the Pentagon to investigate national security adviser Michael Flynn for accepting a paid speaking gig for a Russian state-run media outlet in 2015. Flynn, who retired from the Army as a lieutenant general in 2014, has admitted to speaking at a gala in Moscow and also sitting at the same table as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Joe Biden Backs Tom Perez in Race for DNC Chair
Former Vice President Joe Biden has endorsed former Labor Secretary Tom Perez to lead the Democratic National Committee, Politico reports. “I’ve known Tom Perez for a long time.
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Senators voted 56-43 largely along party lines to approve Tillerson’s nomination to be the nation’s chief diplomat. Most Senate Democrats opposed Tillerson’s nomination, angering Republicans who considered the former Exxon Mobil CEO to be highly qualified for the post.
Major commercial players split on state of the RE cycle: survey
Major stakeholders are split on whether the market has already hit its peak, according to a survey conducted by one of the country’s largest commercial real estate trade groups. The report from the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council , whose members include giant asset managers like BlackRock and New York developers like Fisher Brothers, noted that 55 percent of respondents at the group’s annual conference concluded that the real estate market has already passed its high point, while another 43 percent said the market is still moving through the middle of the cycle.
Senate delays vote on Trump EPA pick after Democrats boycott
“Republican U.S. senators on Wednesday delayed a committee vote on President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency after the panel’s Democrats boycotted the meeting, saying that nominee Scott Pruitt doubts the science of climate change. The boycott in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee delayed the transition to a new administrator for the agency.
Senate confirms ex-Exxon CEO Tillerson as top US diplomat
The US Senate confirmed Rex Tillerson as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state on Wednesday, filling a key spot on the Republican’s national security team despite concerns about the former Exxon Mobil chief executive officer’s ties to Russia. In the vote, 56 senators backed Tillerson, and 43 voted no.
Trump urges Senate Republicans to crash Dem. resistance for Supreme Court pick
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Senate Republicans to take the so-called “nuclear option” to prevent Democrats from using a filibuster to block his Supreme Court pick. “If we end up with that gridlock I would say if you can, Mitch, go nuclear,” Trump said of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
California moves to be 1st “sanctuary state” from Trump’s immigration policy
The Public Safety Committee of the U.S. California State Senate approved a bill Tuesday which would make the state a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants. Introduced by State Senate President pro tempore Kevin de Leon, this bill would prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies from using resources or spending money to enforce federal immigration laws, including to investigate, interrogate, detain or arrest anyone due to their immigration status.
Trump’s Pick for Education Secretary Dealt Confirmation Blow by Key GOP Senators
Democrats had already spoken out against Betsy DeVos but Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski said Wednesday they will also vote against her. Sen. Jeff Sessions has not said if or how he will vote.
GOP Pushes 2 Top Cabinet Picks Through to Full Senate
Republicans jammed two of President Donald Trump’s top Cabinet picks through the Senate Finance Committee with no Democrats in the room Wednesday after suspending a rule that would have otherwise barred them from taking the vote. The tactic seemed a warning shot that they might deploy brute political muscle in the upcoming fight over the Supreme Court vacancy.
Bill would gut rule requiring non-Republicans on 24 boards
Utah’s House of Representatives has passed a bill scrapping a requirement that two dozen state boards and commissions not be dominated by one political party. It’s sponsored by Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo.
Utah bill seeks jail time for flying drones near livestock
A Utah lawmaker wants to send people to jail for harassing farm animals with drones, all-terrain vehicles and even dogs through a proposal that’s unique in the U.S. and has gained an unlikely opponent. Republican Rep. Scott Chew, who’s also a rancher, said Tuesday that he introduced the bill because farmers incur significant costs and hardships when livestock are injured.
This FBI Employee Made $21,000 Paying Fake Car Maintenance Invoices
A former FBI employee pleaded guilty to a four-year scheme where he stole nearly $21,000 of government funds by fabricating and paying fake automotive maintenance invoices, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday. Timothy Johnson, who formerly managed the FBI’s fleet of cars in Washington, D.C., admitted to paying falsified invoices for things like towing and automotive services, wracking up at least $20,995 on the agency’s charge cards.
US Attorney Stanton Announces Resignation
Edward L. Stanton III has announced his resignation as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, effective Feb. 28. Stanton, who has served as U.S. attorney since August 2010, called the job “the professional honor of a lifetime.” “To be able to serve the district where I was born, raised and educated, and for which I have tremendous love and respect, was a remarkable experience,” he said in a statement.
Trump makes unannounced trip to honor fallen Navy SEAL
Assuming the somber duties of commander in chief, President Donald Trump made an unannounced trip Wednesday to honor the returning remains of a U.S. Navy SEAL killed in a weekend raid in Yemen. Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens, a 36-year-old from Peoria, Illinois, was the first known U.S. combat casualty since Trump took office less than two weeks ago.
GOP Lawmaker Wants Tennessee IDs to Identify Non-Citizens
Republican lawmakers want to require government-issued IDs in Tennessee to prominently feature the words “alien” or “non-U.S. citizen” in capital letters for anyone without permanent residency status. The Tennessean reports that the bill is sponsored by Rep. John Ragan of Oak Ridge and Sen. Ed Jackson of Jackson.
Kansas Civil Air Patrol officer calls for legislator’s death
The Kansas man who recommended Rep. Stephanie Clayton “swing from a tree” for introducing a bill to prohibit carrying concealed handguns on college and university campuses serves as a lieutenant colonel in the state’s Civil Air Patrol.
GOP suspends Senate rule, muscles Trump picks through panel
In this Jan. 24, 2017 file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary-designate, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, to testify at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. Republicans on Wednesday muscled through President Donald Trump’s nominees for Treasury and Health after the majority GOP suspended committee rules, a power grab in the latest escalation of partisan tensions in Congress.
The Latest: Trump blasts anew wrong report MLK bust removed
FILE – In this Jan. 26, 2012, file photo, Dana Boente, then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia leave federal court in Alexandria, Va. President Donald Trump has fired Acting Attorney General … .
Why ‘cloture’ and ‘nuclear option’ are keys to Trump’s Supreme Court pick
President Trump’s impending announcement of a Supreme Court nominee is fueling speculation that Senate Republicans may use a procedure known as the “nuclear option” to ensure that they can confirm a new justice even if Democrats oppose Trump’s choice. Why ‘cloture’ and ‘nuclear option’ are keys to Trump’s Supreme Court pick President Trump’s impending announcement of a Supreme Court nominee is fueling speculation that Senate Republicans may use a procedure known as the “nuclear option” to ensure that they can confirm a new justice even if Democrats oppose Trump’s choice.
Hillary Clinton Is Releasing a Book of Essays That Will Include Her 2016 Campaign
The former Secretary of State, Senator and First Lady will publish a new book of personal essays ” inspired by the hundreds of quotations she has been collecting for decades,” the publisher wrote in a statement. “These quotes have helped me celebrate the good times, laugh at the absurd times, persevere during the hard times and deepen my appreciation of all life has to offer,” Clinton wrote.
GOP changes the rules to back Price, Mnuchin
A Senate committee has approved President Donald Trump’s picks for Health and Treasury secretaries after majority Republicans suspended the panel’s rules. The rule they suspended requires at least one Democrat to be present for votes.
US construction activity slips in December
In this Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, photo, light snow falls on construction workers, in Newark, N.J. The Commerce Department reports on U.S. construction spending in December, on Wednesday, Feb. 1. In this Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, photo, light snow falls on construction workers, in Newark, N.J. The Commerce Department reports on U.S. construction spending in December, on Wednesday, Feb. 1. WASHINGTON – U.S. builders trimmed spending slightly in December as a gain in private projects was offset by a big drop in spending on government projects. Construction spending fell 0.2 percent after hitting the highest point in more than a decade in November, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.
The Latest: Panel vote on budget director delayed
The top Democrat on a Senate panel responsible for advancing President Donald Trump’s pick to head the White House budget office says she needs time to examine the results of a routine FBI investigation before she can vote on Rep. Mick Mulvaney’s nomination. Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill says she gained access to Mulvaney’s FBI file just a half-hour before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee vote Wednesday morning.
Air Force base: 1 killed, 1 injured in New Mexico training
Officials at Holloman Air Force Base say one person was killed and another injured in a training accident on a military range in southern New Mexico. Base officials say in a statement that the Tuesday night accident involved members of a ground-control party struck as two F-16 jets used unspecified air-to-ground munitions at a range that’s part of the White Sands Missile Range complex near Holloman.
Environmentalists Dispute Republican Claims Over “Job-Killing” Regulations
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President Donald Trump’s choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on Capitol Hill on January 18, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump is focused on fossil fuels to buoy the economy, but a report out this month found that solar energy companies employed more workers to generate electric power last year than coal, oil and natural gas combined.
To sidestep boycott, Senate committee changes rules to approve Mnuchin, Price
Republicans on a Senate committee have approved Steve Mnunchin, Trump’s nominee for treasury secretary, and Tom Price, the nominee for health secretary. To sidestep a Democratic boycott of the committee, the GOP members on the Senate Finance Committee changed the rules to allow the confirmation to proceed to the Senate floor.
Russians Don’t Want to Live in the Middle Ages
In St. Petersburg the Vesna civil-society movement is holding a street action. In an improvised stage made from a boxing ring, activists present three scenes: an alcoholic beating an elderly pensioner, a husband punching his wife, and a child being physically punished by a parent.
GNA Foreign Minister Mohammed Siyala called it an “unjust decision” that should be reviewed.
Demonstrators protest against US President Donald Trump and his administration’s ban of travellers from 7 countries by Executive Order, during a rally outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on January 30, 2017. Photo – AFP Demonstrators protest against US President Donald Trump and his administration’s ban of travellers from 7 countries by Executive Order, during a rally outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on January 30, 2017.
Hillary Clinton Reflects on Election Loss to Trump in New Book
Hillary Clinton will reflect on her election loss to President Donald Trump in a new book scheduled for release this fall via Simon & Schuster. According to The Hollywood Reporter , the former Democratic presidential candidate will structure the title as a series of personal essays inspired by her favorite quotations.